


Revelations

by LeeMorrigan



Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Assassins, Baby Yoda is called Kid or Child, Baskar, Friendship, Gen, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Inspired By Tumblr, Inspired by the internet, Mandalorians - Freeform, On the Run, Razer crest, This Is The Way, Tried to avoid pronouns for the kid, Will deal with helmet damage, but in a later chapter, cute baby things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-04
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:14:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23011579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeeMorrigan/pseuds/LeeMorrigan
Summary: When the Mandalorian finds himself on the run, with the kid and his old ship, he meets a mysterious stranger when Mando is in a bad situation. The Stranger helps him because of a very simple reason. The three travel together for a spell, during which the Mandalorian learns a few things about his new friend, the kid, and himself.
Relationships: Baby Yoda & The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV), Baby Yoda (The Mandalorian TV) & Original Female Character(s), The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 32





	1. Strangers Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> First off- I'm savoring the show, so I haven't seen all the episodes yet. This is canon-compliant up to episode 3 (I may edit as I get further into the show), and I apologize if I mess up anything with canon and/or continuity. 
> 
> Second- Aside from STAR WARS episodes 1-8, the only STAR WARS thing I've ever watched was the two Ewok movies, so I'm new to the shows/etc. surrounding STAR WARS, and am having to rely pretty heavily on Wookiepedia for information.
> 
> Trigger Warning: Head injuries described mostly as how they affection your vision/mobility/balance, mentions people/things being on fire, explosions mentioned in no real detail, hints at a character being sexually harassed, the Mandalorian's fears of being unable to protect the child, survivor's guilt, and there is a shoot out in the first chapter that has no blood/gore described.
> 
> This was inspired by a post by ladyjolt, theorizing about what would happen if the Mandalorian's helmet were to be damaged in a battle situation, with parts of his face visible through the holes/cracks in his visor and such. The following is the story my brain supplied about how he could end up with that damage, and how he would deal with it.

The Mandalorian entered the tavern, his eyes watchful and the Child at his side, carefully teetering along. They had come to a planet on the outer rim. The worst of the galaxy’s scum could be found in these parts. Any of those inside this tavern could want to take he and the kid in for the bounty. Din counted on the fact that most of those here had death sentences hanging over their heads and as such, would not want to go anywhere near civilization to collect a bounty. Even one as sizable as what they had paid him for the kid a few weeks ago.

He found a table with two chairs, unoccupied. Careful to keep his eyes on their surroundings, he reached for the child and lifted the kid up into a chair. Just because no one would come at them for the bounty, did not mean his Baskar was not attracting far too much attention. A sensible criminal might remove it in favor of something less likely to draw attention or be remembered. Din was not a sensible criminal.

“What can I get you, sweet thing?”, a busted droid asked.

Din looked the thing up and down. He still did not trust a droid, despite recent events. Old beliefs did not easily fade.

“Some bone broth for the kid.”

“And for you, sir?”

“Nothing.”

The droid paused, then turned and rolled away. Din surveyed the room again. No one stuck out as a bounty hunter. Didn’t mean no one here was, just that no one struck him as sharing that profession with him. Granted, now that he was on the run, Din supposed he could nolonger function as a bounty hunter. Pity, he was good at it.

He felt a familiar pang of guilt. There would be no more jobs from him to help fund the foundlings. His own tribe had t move because they had stepped out of their safe, hidden places, in order to defend him. His choice to break his code as a bounty hunter, had cost his fellows dearly. The Armorer and hers would have to move her foundry and the foundlings, to find a new place to hide and survive. All because of his snap decision.

Din looked over at the child. The kid was currently eyeballing a flying insect with great interest. Large ears moved as the kid’s eyes followed the insect’s movements. If given it all to do again, Din would not have chosen to act differently. He had to protect the kid. It was the Way.

His attention was moved to the droid, returning to the table with the kid’s broth. The droid placed the broth and a spoon onto the table and rolled off. Din was surprised the thing had not asked for payment first or at delivery. Perhaps it was counting on Din ordering something for himself in a moment.

While the kid ate their broth, Din considered their options. Bounty hunting was out, however there were other possibilities for someone with his skillset. Working as a private hunter, going after people with whom your boss had a personal score to settle. Bodyguarding for some of the minor warlords. Smuggling was not entirely out of the question.

“Mandalorian!”

He spun around, placing himself between the voice and the child. His hand moved to pull his blaster before he could finish the breath he had been taking, barrel trained on the origin of the voice. There stood a Chiss, his hands in the air, a smile on his blue face.

“I had not seen one of you in some time. Thought maybe the Empire finally stomped you all out, before they fell.”

Din regarded the man. Well dressed, nice armor, well kept weapons. He appeared young, barely old enough not to be considered a kid, with a wide smile that Din instantly distrusted.

“I wish to employ you. Will you hear me out?”

Din nodded. The man put his hands down only after Din put the blaster back in his holster. The Chiss took a breath, then made his way over, grabbing a chair to sit at the table. He almost reclined in the damn rickety chair as he grinned over at the Mandalorian, carefully pulling out something akin to a bounty puck. Din pressed the button to bring up the image.

“This man wants to kill me and my brother.”

“Why?”

“I stole his woman and my brother beat him in a game of cards. On the same night.”

A gambler and a womanizer. Hardly upstanding citizens. Then again, in this area they were probably model citizens.

“How many men does he have?”

“Three, maybe six at most. He wants to cut my head off and keep it as a trophy. My brother, well he wants my brother’s hands.”

“Sounds like a sick person. Probably not someone you should have played cards with. Or meddled with his woman.”

The Chiss smiled, shrugging one shoulder.

“What’s life without a little risk? I pay well. Handsomely, even. Just need the protection for a few days. Then I’ll be out of this man’s reach and won’t have to worry about him anymore.”

“We can discuss details.”

The Chiss’s grin widened, revealing perfect, nearly shimmering teeth.

“Good. Now, order anything, on me.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

He really should have known the job was too perfect. Falling into his lap moments after he landed, while sitting in a tavern on a forsaken outer rim planet, only weeks after he had turned his life upside down.

Din fired two shots overtop the cargo he was hidden behind, then ducked back down, taking a couple deep breaths. His thigh burned from the grazing shot that had hit him over the edge of his armor. He also felt a throbbing in his head from being too close to a small explosion and the fingers on her left hand were immobile, probably broken.

“ _I hate this planet_.”, he thought to himself as he waited for the guys to take a few more shots.

It grew silent. Din checked his blaster. He was running low and he still had quite a distance to the Razer. Popping up quickly, he fired three shots, taking out two of the guys who had been trying to kill him all day. Then he heard it. A different blaster sound. Something more like his rifle.

Risking it, he tipped his head up just far enough to look over the cargo he was hidden behind. He watched. A figure appeared almost like a wisp of smoke, ducking in among the tree cover and firing only once per appearance, making a direct hit with each shot. Everyone they fired at went down permanently. Whoever it was, they were fast and they were good. Din was in trouble if this was someone out for his head. Or the kid.

Readying himself, Din waited. He was not going down without a fight. He had to get back to the kid.

The scene grew silent. Din hated it. No blaster shots, no screaming, no scrambling for cover, no ragged breaths of the injured. He waited. On the count of ten, he would move.

10 - No sound.

9 - He took a breath, his finger on the trigger.

8 - Din released the breath.

7 - He listened. Nothing.

6 - He took another breath.

5 - He released the breath and listened carefully.

4 - Nothing. Silence. Stillness.

3 - Another breath.

2 - Release.

1 - He dove around the side and there was a fireball.

Din felt himself flying backward until he slammed into something. A tree, he thought, before falling forward onto the ground. All he could hear was a high pitched whistling in his ears, his head pounded, and as he tried to look, his vision was swimming. Fire. Smoke. Two men on fire running between the burning trees.

Din tried to move. He had to get back to the Razer. The kid was waiting for him. He would be helpless, alone. Din reached. He was crawl if he had to.

There was a boot. Din turned his head to look through the crimson sliver of his visor. He moved his eyes as he could nolonger turn his head any further. A figured in some kind of shroud, stood with a rifle in hand. Din tried to reach for his blaster but the darkness was closing in. He felt it. Then he felt nothing.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Din shot forward, a silent scream caught in his throat. The first thing he did was to check his helmet and its integrity. It was on his head and seemed intact. His body hurt and his vision was still a little iffy, white stars forming here and there as he sat up and turned his head to look. He was on the Razer.

The kid! Where was the kid? Din forced himself onto his feet, his legs threatening to give out as he stood. He balanced against the wall, pulling his blaster to make his way up to the cockpit. An excruciating moment later, he was aiming his blaster at the back of a black-clad head and the kid was sitting in his new travel-seat, atop the co-pilot’s chair.

“Who are you? Why are you in my ship?”

His modulator for his voice was damaged, allowing more of his natural tone to escape. The black-clad figure held up their hands. They were ungloved now, showing pale, five-fingered hands with short, bunt nails of solid black. Din wondered if they were dyed or natural.

“May I turn in the chair?”

“Slowly.”

The chair moved, revealing a pale face of a race he didn’t recognize right off. Human looking except for the nearly glowing green eyes with slitted pupils where a human’s wound be round. The person appeared female, with white hair peaking out from under a black hood, a semi-sheer black scarf was draped around their neck and shoulders, a black blouse tucked into black pants, with a black sash, black boots, and thin, black armor over her chest, forearms, and stomach. He saw that she appeared to have no weapon in arm’s reach.

“My name is Liseel Gairis. You’ve probably never heard of me.”

Din narrowed his eyes behind the helmet. The name did sound vaguely familiar, at least the first name. The clothing, however, was the true giveaway. At least to him.

“You’re an assassin.”

“Used to be.”

“From what I saw in those woods, I’m not so sure about the past-tense.”

She arched her left eyebrow.

“No one assigned me the job or paid me after. So no, not an assassin anymore. Just like you’re not a bounty hunter anymore.”

“Now I remember. I had a bounty on you, a few months ago, and it went dark. Thought you’d been killed or bagged.”

She smiled.

“I made other arrangements.”

“Why are you on my ship?”

She let out a slow breath. He could almost see her calculating in her head. Her skin was so pale, she almost looked like a dead human.

“My ship was destroyed when I landed on that rock. Some Chiss wanted me to work for him and I declined. He didn’t take kindly to my refusal of his offer for work. Less so of my rebuffing his advances of a less financial nature.”

If Din hadn’t already decided he hated that Chiss, he would have made up his mind to do so now.

“I’ve been hiding out in those woods for three weeks, hoping to find a way off that planet. I saw you land and when I spotted the Baskar and the helmet, I figured I might be able to buy passage with you to get out of here. Safe passage.”

“Why would seeing a Mandalorian make you think that?”

Her smile was fond for a flash, before turning to a more businesslike expression. Din did not miss the slight slip.

“I had a Mandalorian save my life a few years back. I grew up among a different kind of people. Ones who would have happily slaughtered their own best friend, for the right price. Traveling with the Mandalorian, hearing him speak of The Way… guess it ingrained a sense of trust towards your people. You have a code, a faith of sorts. Keeps you from being the greedy, distasteful smucks I usually meet out here.”

“How did I get back on my ship?”

“Let’s say I earned my sore back. You aren’t a featherweight, Mandalorian.”

“Why?”

“I already explained that.”

“No. You explained why you would be on my ship. Why did you bring me back?”

“Didn’t know if you were alone. If you weren’t, having you bleeding in my arms was a better bargaining chip for getting on here, than showing up with a report of you being dead. Turned out that once your kid here saw me dragging you, the kid didn’t put up any argument about my dragging your carcass up here. Flew off a bit, then went down to patch you up as best I could. Don’t worry, I didn’t touch your helmet- so couldn’t do much to patch up your braincase.”

“Were you injured?”

“Not badly. I wasn’t the one standing right next to something explosive when that idiot fired off a grenade. Don’t worry, he took himself out with that move.”

“Where can I drop you off?”

“Wherever you’re going to next, Mandalorian. I’m not picky.”

“Somehow, I doubt that.”

She shot him a cheeky grin. Din felt a slight flush on his cheeks. The woman was attractive. Probably how good she was with a rifle and her moxy.

“You’ll have to get to know me better to make that determination, Mandalorian. Now, do you think you’re in any shape to fly this relic, or should we get you back below and make sure your head isn’t going to crack open?”

He nodded, moving back down towards the ladder. She had a point. He had been forced to lean more and more of his weight against the spare chair in order to stay upright and keep his blaster trained on the woman in black. Liseel.

He heard her following him, the kid right behind her. Din all but collapsed onto the table he had woken up on. A moment later, Liseel was lifting the kid up onto the table beside him. Three stubby fingers moved to trace the edge of his helmet. Din reached, rubbing his thumb across the kid’s head as his hand moved to settle across the little back.

“I’m alright.”, he told the kid.

The kid gurgled on concern. Din moved his hand, trying to rub the kid’s little back reassuringly. The woman seemed to pay them no mind, except her eyes. They gave her away. She was watching them with a curiosity and, dare he say a warmth?

She ran a scanner over his head, her brows knitting a bit. She read the report and shook her head as she moved over to where he kept his limited supply of medical tools and supplies. He had never been much of a surgeon.

“You seem awake enough. Want me to take the kid back up and you can patch your scalp up?”

He looked up at her, confused for a moment. Then he remembered. She had recounted spending time with a Mandalorian who had saved her life, implying she had spent enough time with this other Mandalorian, to have learned a few things about their culture. Din was a bit impressed. Most didn’t listen well enough to know about their helmets.

He nodded and gave the kid one last head brush, before she scooped the kid up to carry off with her. The kid gave her a bit of a look. Din smiled.

“Oh, don’t give me that look, kiddo. Your papa needs some privacy and I need to check our coordinates. Your papa will be up when he’s done.”


	2. Forged in Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Din and Liseel get a chance to go their separate ways and end up in the middle of a firefight they had nothing to do with starting. Later, they make a new enemy to add to their growing list.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Mentions leg injuries and having to dig shrapnel out of a wound as well as blood soaking into clothing. Discusses scars in scant detail. 
> 
> Next chapter- the helmet gets damaged.

A couple hours later, Din headed back up to the cockpit to find the kid looking over the edge of his travel seat, his big ears perking up as he saw Din’s helmet. Liseel the assassin, was still at the helm. She turned, offering him a slight smile.

“Ready to resume piloting?”

He nodded. She moved without protest to allow him back into his usual seat. For her part, Liseel seemed quite at ease despite being on a ship with a stranger whose face she couldn’t see and name she did not know, as well as a small child whose species she likely could not identify. Not to mention that he and the kid were wanted these days.

“It’ll be another 12 hours before we can touch down. Sand storm.”

“Lovely.”, she deadpanned.

Din turned the chair to better look at her. Standing in her flowing scarves, hood, and her solid black attire, she looked even more wraithlike and tall. In the confines of the cockpit though, most species looked tall.

“You don’t talk much, do you, Mandalorian?”

He shook his head. She shrugged as she raised one eyebrow.

“No worries. I talk plenty, when given a topic or audience. Well, more a topic. Been known to talk to trees and they usually don’t talk back.”

He had never known a tree to talk back, though it would not surprise him to learn of trees with some level of sentience. Or even a race who could commune with trees. Turning back to the helm, he resumed checking his settings and coordinates.

“You don’t have the colorful markings I would have expected. The Mandalorian I used to know, he had a different accent, too. But his armor had some white markings on it and he had a signet, he called it. It was of a creature from the world where he met his wife.”

Din listened, letting her speak. He had known of no such Mandalorian. In fact, there were very few he had known of who were married at all. Let alone married, with a signet and other markings in white on their Baskar.

“He said she was beautiful. I remember wondering how he knew that if she wore the Baskar as he did, then it occurred to me that Mandalorians think of the Baskar as an extension of themselves and that he may have been referring to her heart and soul, rather than her face and body. He seemed a bit of a romantic.”

The kid seemed, as Din glanced over, to be totally mesmerized by the assassin. Din smiled. Probably all the stimulation of her chatter and her glowing eyes.

“He was a good deal more talkative than you are, though I suppose chattiness isn’t a species trait. Well, not usually.”

“I have never encountered your like.”, he said as a way of learning her species.

“Neither have I, aside from my mother. Her hair is more silver than white, and her eyes are a bit yellower than mine. She never spoke of where she came from so I’m afraid you know as much about them as I do.”

He nodded. For a few minutes, she didn’t speak. Din was sure it would not last.

“Why do the remnants of the Empire and a whole bunch of other nasties, want the kid? I mean, I’m guessing the kid is rare in some way? Or related to someone important?”

“Something like that.”

She nodded. Then she let out a long sigh.

“Don’t worry, Mandalorian. I don’t have intentions of collecting a bounty on either of you. I’m not in the business and frankly, I’d rather stay as far away from the people who want your kid, as you would. I have a delicate deal in place and I’m not of a mind to shake it.”

Turning, Din faced her.

“If you threaten him, I will end you.”

She nodded, seeming nonplussed. Then she held out her hand.

“I won’t tell anyone anything about you two, you won’t mention me to anybody – deal?”

Glancing down at her hand then back to her glowing green eyes, Din nodded once, then reached to shake her hand.

~*~*~*~*~*~

They had touched down hours later. The effects of the sand storm were plain to see and devastating to the unprepared. Fortunately, most who lived in the area were well accustomed to the perils of living on a desert planet.

Din walked down the plank, leaving the Kid onboard for the moment. From some of the traveling they had done, it appeared the Kid did not do so well in desert conditions and would linger around the ship. On one hand, Din was glad of it. If he walked into danger, he wouldn’t be dragging the little one along with him. On the other hand, Din would not be close enough to protect the Kid if someone came after the little womp rat while the Kid was having a nap on the ship.

The assassin seemed to notice Din’s reluctance. She looked between his still form and the ship, then back to Din. The smile on her face was almost… fond.

“I doubt anyone would find him without tearing the ship apart, and that would take long enough for you to have gotten back before anyone got ahold of the Kid.”

Din nodded. It was not unreasonable to assume the Kid would be able to hide well enough to duck most bounty hunters. Even Din sometimes had trouble locating him and it was his ship. He knew every nook and cranny, especially after having had to rebuild it once.

They walked down the gangplank and onto the arid ground below. Din could not shake a sense of foreboding about this place. He often had that issue when he was around deserts. They made him think of what Mandalore had been reduced to by the Empire, in their greed for Baskar.

“You got a job lined up here?”, Liseel asked.

“No.”

She nodded.

“Good plan.”

Din turned his head to look at her. She was smirking. It was not a sly smile or a teasing grin. It was a blasted smirk. Shaking his head, he continued to walk beside her towards the main area of the little town ahead.

No sooner had they walked into the center of town than they were fired upon. Din and Liseel found themselves hiding behind a cart of supplies, their blasters pulled and ready. Liseel risked a look around the edge to get her bearings.

“Two on the roof across from us, not aimin’ at us though. Seem to be focusing on the three guys hiding behind the watering tin over to the left. I think there’s at least one person tucked behind that speeder over to the right by the fire pit and there might be someone around the corner.”

Din nodded, visualizing the scene in his head.

“Do we make a run back for your ship, duck around a side street to another part of town, or just hunker for a bit?”

“We wait. See if they finish each other off.”

She nodded, letting her head fall back against their meager shelter. For several tense minutes, they listened to the exchange of blaster fire between the two groups. Din was about to suggest they make a break for the Razer Crest when Liseel simultaneously shoved him aside and fired her blaster at a small hole in the wall across from them. Din noticed a set of eyes peering out, and a second blaster rifle appearing over the hole Liseel had just shot through. Din fired once, taking out whomever had been aiming at he and Liseel.

When he looked over, intending to thank her, he noticed a wet patch on Liseel’s pant leg. He could see from her face that she was gritting her teeth a little and her pupils were so thin they were nearly non-existent. That worried him almost as much as the flow of blood.

“Let’s get out of here.”, he shouted and she gave a quick nod.

Din quickly wrapped an arm around the small of Liseel’s back and counted to three. They launched up and made a break for the wall across from them, hurtling themselves over it to hide behind it for a moment. He had expected to hear a grunt or some swearing from Liseel. Instead she chuckled.

Din looked at her, sure the woman had lost her mind. She cackled to herself before twisting her body to fire several shots in the direction of those who had fired at them as they ran to their current shelter. Judging by the screams he heard, she had hit at least two people with her three shots.

“Ha!”, she barked before grinning over to him.

“Ready to make the run back to your ship, or are we still gonna go visit whatever friend you meant to see?”

“The ship.”

She nodded, moving to make it easier for Din to get his arm around her back again. Once more, she counted to three and they launched into as fast a run as they could manage. They ran till they were out of the town, then slowed to an awkward sprint the rest of the way to the Razer Crest.

Once on board, Din moved to the helm, quickly checking to see the Kid was bouncing about in their travel seat. Din threw the Razer Crest into gear and took off. A minute later, when they were safely away, he picked the Kid up and they went down to where Liseel stood leaning against the same table Din had woken up on hours ago. The amount of blood on her pantleg troubled Din.

He put the Kid up on the steps to the cockpit, urging the Kid up back into the cockpit. He was aware the kid had seen more than their fair share of blood, fighting, and such, however he wished to the spare the Kid more if he could.

“How deep?”

Liseel let out a breath as she let her head fall backward a little. Din could see her hands were shaking a little and there was a sheen of sweat still clinging to her, despite the chill on the Razer.

“Deep enough. Can you hand me your cauterizer thingie over there? I can get it taken care of, just can’t hold my weight to get the tool.”

Din moved, getting the tool and then moving over to Liseel.

“May I?”, he asked, indicating with a gesture that he meant to inspect the wound and treat it, with her permission.

Liseel nodded, her knuckling going whiter-yet as she gripped the edge of the table. Din checked, his visor allowing him to see things his eyes alone might have missed. The injury was deep enough to worry him if she were a regular human, and with no idea what her species was, he had no idea if the rules were the same as for a human like himself. She could be more sensitive to blood loss or have a lower threshold for muscle damage. He had come across some species who handled certain types of injuries better than others, while handling other injuries with far less resilience.

“Are you feeling dizzy or lightheaded?”, he asked to help ascertain her condition.

She panted out a breath, licking her lips before answering.

“Not so far. Mostly just feels like there’s still something burnin’ me just below the skin.”

Din snapped his attention back to her wound, looking closer. There were some rounds that could do such as she had described. He probed a bit with two fingers without warning her, causing her to buck a bit against the table.

“Sorry.”, he muttered under his breath.

“Has to be done. Find anything?”

He reached, catching the edge of a talon. He hadn’t seen one in a living person before. Having seen the damage they could do, when he encountered the bodies of unfortunate targets, he could guess how badly it had to hurt. He quickly pulled a pair of tweezers from his meager kit and yanked firmly and swiftly to remove the talon. It was still trying to burrow as he held it up to check. He needed to make sure it was intact or they would have bigger problems.

“Intact.”, he pronounced.

Liseel let out a low whistle, her head falling back again, exposing her neck. Either she trusted him a great deal or she was insanely confident that she was still fast enough, and in good enough shape, to keep him from taking advantage if he tried.

“Is this the right color for your blood or have we hit an artery?”

It did seem like too much blood to him. Then again, Din was not a medic. Liseel tilted her head to look at her leg, her upper lip curling a bit as she examined the blood.

“I’m good. That’s not arterial. Not dark enough. That stuff’s almost white.”

“Explains the pallor.”, he muttered as he reached for the rag he would use to clean it up a bit. He needed to be able to see to work if he was to cauterize the wound.

Once he could see the wound well enough to make sure he was aiming correctly, Din began to work on the injury. Liseel hardly squirmed at all. As an assassin, and judging by the few scars he could see pieces of on the little exposed skin he could see, Din imagined the woman was no stranger to pain.

Din finished the cauterization and began working to bandage the wound. It was large enough to require a bit of patching. He did not carry dermal generators or anything so high tech as that. Once they got to a town or such, she could go to the physicians and see if anyone had something to more than Din could. Once he was done, Liseel got up and tried to stand with half her weight on the injured leg. She barely swayed at all.

“Thanks.”, she said with a smile. “Not a bad medic, for a guy who has almost no equipment for it.”

As she moved to walk towards the steps up to the cockpit, Din realized something.

“Thank you.”

She turned, her expression one of confusion as her neat brows drew together over her somewhat stubby nose.

“What?”

“You got that pushing me out of the way of the first shooter.”

He could see it dawning on her. Either she truly had forgotten or she had not thought it worth mentioning later. Din owed her a debt twice over. First, for gathering him up and bringing him back to the ship so she could treat his wounds and fly them to safety. Now, he owed her for saving him from being shot and leaving the kid alone.

“Would you like to stay with the Kid and I a while? Can’t promise it will be safe.”

She smiled, her eyes seeming aways off, and soft.

“I wouldn’t mind that at all, Mandalorian. Deal me in. Besides, I think you might feel a little better having two sets of eyes looking for any threat coming after your kid.”

“You would protect the Child?”

She nodded.

“Kid’s just that, a kid. Deserves to grow up safe. Besides, it’ll be nice to have some company, especially company that offers such sparkling, lengthy conversation.”, she winked before making her way up to the cockpit.

Din shook his head down below. Surely, he was going to regret taking on a partner. Not today though.

~*~*~*~*~*~

For weeks, the three of them traveled together, ate together, and spent downtime together. Liseel came up with some games to help keep the Kid occupied when Din was flying or otherwise busy on the Razer. She had also taken to humming to the Kid to get the tike to sleep on something of a regular schedule. When the Kid was busy or sleeping, Liseel would chat at Din, telling him all sorts of things. He mostly wondered how someone who had been such a successful assassin, could be so talkative.

Today, they had a job to do. They were supposed to get a pair of killers who had been causing problems for simple settlers and farmers in the outer rim planets. They had killed without remorse and with glee. Many of the settlers, farmers, and even some smugglers in the area, had made up a bounty of their own to anyone who could bring proof of a kill or the two killers in for a trail. Din had seen enough to make him sure these men were a real threat. Possibly to the Kid if they got wind of such a prize, but also to people just like the ones he and Cara had protected not so long ago.

Once he was sure the Kid was tucked in, hidden well behind the fake wall disguising the hidden room, Din and Liseel made their way into the lush, green forest. The trees were tall, ancient. Every rock covered in moss, every limb almost dripping with some kind of vines, and the sun well hidden by all the green canopy above.

Liseel looked around, a small smile appearing on her face. It was clear she appreciated the scenery. Din was not entirely sure he trusted it. With it being so damp, they would not have dry twigs and such to alert them the presence of another nearby. It would not be hard for their quarry to hide from them in such a dense area, with so much potential cover.

They walked a long while before they heard it. The clinking of armor. Liseel gave Din a subtle nod before diving left as he dove right, both rolling to come up firing. One of the two brothers made a mad dash and Liseel took off after him, leaving Din with the elder brother, who was sticking to hoping in amongst the trees for cover. Din growled under his breath as he stayed behind a thicker tree, waiting. In the distance, he could hear the sound of Liseel’s blaster returning fire to the rifle the younger brother was known to use. Din could only hope neither he or Liseel got shot again.

For a while, he and the elder brother exchanged shots until Din got an idea. A very bad idea. He stepped out, allowing the brother to have a fairly good shot and trusting his Baskar to save him. The shot knocked him off his feet and then flat to the ground. He laid there, unmoving. It did not take long for the brother to leave his hidey hole and come to collect the booty he felt awaited him in Mandalorian Baskar and weapons. Once he was close enough, Din quickly fired at the brother. A direct hit to the chest.

Din collected what he needed to prove the kill. He would have preferred to bring them both in alive, though he had accepted the odds of that were slim. These had not been the type to come quietly enough to not require a shootout. With his evidence in hand, Din made his way back to the ship. He had only just arrived at the gangplank when he heard Liseel. Turning, he found her dragging someone behind her. It was not the younger brother.

“Who is that?”

“This scumbag was the one who went running, so either the brothers had a falling out or little brother is still out there someplace. This guy isn’t talking. Torture was never my strong suit so I thought we could offer him something like ‘tell us where you boss is or I toss you out the door as we take off’ kind of deal?”

“You’re a mad woman.”

She just smiled at Din’s statement. The man wrapped in a net, tied like an animal about to be sacrificed, thrashed in his binds. Liseel was unphased by both of them.

“He’s your prisoner. It’s your call.”

She turned, offering a predatory grin towards her quarry. The man went still, then he lost several shades of the pink color of his skin, his ears dropping a bit.

“He left us two days ago! Went to see someone! A girl! Went to see a girl, I swear! We haven’t seen him since!”

“Where?”

“Endor.”

Din let out a sigh. Liseel shrugged.

“Alright, you’ve earned your freedom.”

She started to undo the bindings but the man she had roped, made to hit her when she went to untie his ankles. He was not fast enough. Liseel punched him across the face once, knocking the man cold. She finished untying him, collecting her ropes and net, before heading up the gangplank without a backward glance. Din shook his head and quietly followed her up the plank. Somehow, it seemed he constantly found himself entangled with women adept at violence. He found that he did not mind it. They were able to protect themselves, and in some cases, protect those they cared for. Such a trait was something he could easily admire in a person.

Going up, he found her already opening the panel to allow the Kid to have free reign over the ship. The Kid held out their little hands to Din, clearly awaiting his assistance. He gladly offered it. Less than an hour later, they were setting in a course for Endor. The Kid was asleep against Din’s stomach, long ears twitching at whatever the Kid dreamed about.

Liseel seemed lost in her own mind, uncharacteristically quiet. Din had become accustomed to her near-constant noise. She talked, she hummed to the Kid, she practiced with her weapons, or she tapped a beat as she drummed her fingers against her thigh or the seat. Her stillness was almost as unsettling as her silence.

“If we don’t get there before he hears about his brother, he’s gonna be coming for us.”

“I know.”

She nodded.

“If you have to, get back on here and get the Kid out of harm’s way. I’ll cover you.”

“What are you saying?”, Din asked as he carefully turned his seat to face her.

For a tense moment, she stared directly at his helmet.

“I’m saying if you have to pick between backing me up and protecting the Kid, I vote you protect the kid and leave me to my old work. I’m a killer by nature. And accustomed to working alone. You’re a protector, Mandalorian. The Kid is your foundling, your clan. That kid’s safety and wellbeing comes ahead of all others, and I want you to know I don’t fault that or hold any grudges. If anything, I admire that.”

“It won’t come down to that.”, he found himself saying before he stopped to think about it.

She offered a tired half-smile to him before her eyes drifted down to the Kid, her smiled growing a bit.

“But it might. I just want you to know, there are no hard feelings.”

Din nodded, then turned back to the controls. He was done with this conversation.


	3. Broken Pieces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Mandalorian and Liseel catch up with the troublesome younger brother who evaded capture some weeks ago. In the process of protecting the Child, the Mandalorian's helmet is damaged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Triggers: Injuries to the face including 1st degree burns/slight cuts/bruising, a child is threatened at gunpoint, being locked in a room, being deafened and temporarily blinded by injury, someone using mean names referring to the Child/Asset, survivor's guilt. Reference to a person being sold for 'parts'.

For several weeks, they had chased the younger brother and his merry band of thugs, from one backwater station to another, hopping moons and space stations all around the outer rim. At last, they found out that he had a particular favorite woman, a singer, whom he liked to spend weeks ‘luxuriating’ with. Liseel had gotten that info, down to the exact wording, from one of Zirk’s own girlfriends. It seemed the woman did not appreciate that he had not yet given up his lawless and womanizing ways, and was especially disgusted to learn he had left his brother to die. She had been only too happy to share his most-likely location with Liseel.

Din checked for the fifth time, that the Kid was secure behind his panel. Liseel came down the steps from the cockpit, her rifle on her back as he had worn his own, several weapons visible on her person, and an extra sheer scarf tied around her head and lower half of her face. She had said she would need to take precautions, given the bright sunlight on this moon.

Once he was sure the Kid was secure, he turned to Liseel with a nod. She returned it, a grim smile on her lips as she moved towards the gangplank. Din hit the button to lower it and they walked out, eyes already scanning. It took them nearly an hour to reach the cantina where Zirk and his cronies relaxed and drank as they enjoyed the entertainment. Hopefully, Zirk would be half-drunk with his men and they could easily take him. Din didn’t cling to hope.

The cantina was as tucked away and nondescript outside, as Din expected. Any place that hosted the likes of Zirk, would need to be able to fly under the radar enough to keep from attracting the attention of those inclined to hunt Zirk’s kind. Din checked his weapons with a sweep of his eyes across his limbs. Glancing over, he could see one of Liseel’s pale hands reaching to double-check that her smaller blaster was on her left hip.

“Ready?”, she asked quietly.

Din nodded. She nodded back once, then turned her full attention back to the matter at hand. Getting inside to get Zirk, then getting back out without getting shot or having a horde of Zirk’s men following them all the way back to the Razer.

“I’ve got an idea.”

Din turned, listening.

“I’ll give you my rifle and I’ll go in, scarves in place. Everyone will assume I’m another weary traveler in need of libation and entertainment. It’ll give me a chance to get closer to him. You come around a back or side door, whichever you can get into discreetly. Then, when I can see you, I’ll give you the nod, and we’ll snatch him up.”

“I don’t like it.”

“Neither do I.”

Din let out a sigh. They really had no plan that would work better or was any less risky. In fact, more of the others had a lower chance of succeeding without one of them getting injured.

“Let’s do it. Give me a chance to head around the side before you walk in.”

She nodded as she unclipped the strap of her blaster rifle. She handed it over along with the ammo.

“Good luck in there.”

“I don’t believe in luck.”, he answered.

She shrugged with a smile.

“I know, but I do.”

He watched her eyes for a moment, then turned his back to her and made his way carefully to the side of the cantina, keeping low and to the shadows. It was hard to keep Baskar from attracting attention. Even at twilight. Once he was tucked closely to the building, he paused to look. Liseel was just stepping out from behind the cart they had been behind, adjusting her scarves to look a bit less utilitarian against the fading sunlight, and more like a traveling female. She almost appeared like a puff of smoke with piercing green eyes glowing in the faint light if the setting sun.

Din let out a long breath. She had repeated her desire for him to leave her and protect the Child, if it came down to only being able to protect one or the other of them. Several times, she had repeated it, over the last four months. He had not liked it one bit.

He timed it. She had been inside long enough to get to the counter and order something, maybe even having had a sip or two, by now. Din began to carefully work his way around the building when he heard her voice over his comm.

“IT’S A TRAP! RUN! IT’S A TRAP!”

Din backed away from the building, though he did not run. He found a building across the street and figured a way to climb, getting himself onto the rooftop. He pulled out his spyglass and scanned through the half-open front door. Blaster fire shot past and some smaller alien stumbled out, screaming into the street as it made it’s way as quick as it could manage. Most seemed unphased by the creature’s plight.

Checking closer, Din could see Liseel spinning backwards to bring her knife down through the thin armor of one humanoid, before spinning away from him and flipping through the air over a pair of tables, landing on her feet and coming up running. She fired four more shots before she made it out the front door. From there, she ran a zig-zag pattern down the alley, vaguely towards the Razer.

Din waited and when some men popped out, taking aim at Liseel, he fired on them. Four shots, four blown to smithereens. Once he was sure no one else was coming out, he made his way down and ran past the back streets to try to catch up to Liseel at the end of town. He risked speaking over their comms.

“Liseel?”

“Yeah?”, she panted, clearly still running.

“Meet you in two.”

“Yes.”

Din continued running, sometimes having to duck and swerve to avoid passersby and sharp turns, as he made his way to where the alley would dump out Liseel eventually. He beat her by only a few seconds. She skidded to a stop, leaning to take a few steadying breaths to bring her breathing back under her control.

“What happened?”

“Went in and Zirk wasn’t there. Asked the bar tender about getting work with Zirk and his crew, only for the bar tender to laugh and point for some men in the back. They all threw off cloaks, all dramatic-like, and opened fire on me. I overheard one of them saying they knew ‘That Mandalorian bastard and his freaky sidekick’ were coming.”

“Did they mention anything else?”

“No.”, she shook her head.

“The Razer.”, Din whispered, before taking off.

Liseel was right behind him, seemingly getting her second wind as she easily kept up with him. He barely noticed the look of sheer rage on her face as they raced to the Razer.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Din knew the plan. Opposite of their plan in town. He would go in, drawing all eyes to himself, while Liseel moved into position on the sand dunes and when she had the shots, she would begin picking people off. From what they could see, Zirk was sticking close, sitting at the top of the gangplank where it was almost impossible to get a shot at him without being close enough for his men to easily pick you off.

“I don’t like it.”, Liseel muttered as she handed him her second knife.

“Just in case.”

He nodded at the gesture and tucked the knife into the small of his back. Liseel looked towards the Razer, letting out a growl.

“Don’t die out there.”

“Don’t plan to.”

“Most don’t plan it.”

She turned to him, a worried expression on her pale face.

“I’ve got your back, Mandalorian. Go get your kid.”

He nodded, then moved to walk in while Liseel crawled away with the rifle. Soon, he was facing down 9 men with blasters all aimed at him and Zirk chuckling at the top of the gangplank. The arrogant scumbag stood, clapping as if enjoying some comedy show.

“Ah, how good of your to finally join us, Mandalorian. Tell me, where’s your freaky little partner?”

“Your men killed her.”

The human preened, seeming nearly giddy.

“Oh joy, oh joy! I was hoping they would take her out and leave you for us here. I wanted to see a real Mandalorian.”

“Might live to regret that.”, Din muttered.

“Oh, I doubt it.”, the arrogant turdball said, almost sing-song as he sat back down.

“Well, aren’t you going to surrender your weapons and ask for mercy, sir?”

“I’m a Mandalorian. Weapons are part of my religion.”

Zirk clapped, laughing like a fool.

“Now that is brilliant! I’ll have to remember that one.”

After a moment, Zirk waved his hand and three of his goons came forward, their weapons lowered in favor of the pike and two sets of shackles they brought. Din waited a beat, then he saw the first go down by rifle shot. The men all stopped. Looking around, they tried to figure out what had just happened and where the shot came from. Another shot, another man down.

“She’s alive!”, Zirk screamed as he ran further into the Razer.

Din raced forward, using the body of one of the lackies to shield himself as he moved. Liseel continued to take out lackies, clearing a path for Din to run up into the Razer. Once inside, he tilted his head to listen. A screech. One he knew. The Child!

Running, Din made it up to where he kept the Kid hidden, only to find Zirk holding the Child with a blaster pointed right at the Kid’s head. The Kid was tucked tightly in the scumbag’s arm, barely able to do more than wiggle his ears and make chirps of fear.

“Take one more step and I’ll take the freak’s head off!”

Din stopped, his anger churning as he calculated a plan.

“What is it with you, Mandalorian, that you surround yourself with the rare and exotic like a traveling freak show? This looks like something we would have pried off the ships on my homeworld.”

“Let the kid go.”

“No. In fact, that was part of the plan. Kill the girl in the cantina, lure you here to get you to give us the little freak here, kill you, then turn you and this… _thing_ , in for the bounties on your heads. I could live like a king for decades on what they are offering for just this thing, let alone the Mandalorian who stole from the remnants of the Empire.”

Din turned his head slightly, as if hearing something on his comm. He watched Zirk get twitchy. Twitchy was a double-edged knife. It made him easier to keep off-balance but made it harder to predict him.

“Sounds like she’s got it all handled. Even if you kill me and the kid, you still have the professional assassin.”, Din bluffed.

Zirk lost a couple shades from his well-tanned skin.

“I know someone who’ll buy her for parts!”, Zirk shouted.

Din waited. He remained silent. Zirk’s obvious unease grew with every breath. The Kid continued to try to wiggle free and made a few pitiful, quiet whimpers. Din wished he could tell the Child that it would be alright in a few minutes, however there was no guarantee it would be, and speaking right now would ruin his plan for Zirk.

Zirk moved the blaster, aiming wildly towards Din as Din twisted his body sideways while also moving forward. Zirk got off four shots in rapid succession, missing with the first two, then hitting Din’s chest, then his helmet as Din curled around the Child.He saw red and blinding white as a BOOM went off in his helmet, deafening him as he fell. Din twisted again, his back plowing into Zirk’s ribcage, slamming the taller man into a nearby wall with enough force to surely damage the murderer.

Din slid down to the floor, shoving the Child behind a crate, before rolling onto his back and simultaneously pulling his blaster. He fired twice, killing Zirk, who slid down the bloodied wall. Din blinked. His ears were ringing badly, his face felt warm and wet, and… nothing was red. He felt with his free hand, his other still clasping his weapon with it aimed towards Zirk’s body.

He traced along the slit of his helmet as a sickening realization hit him. His visor had been destroyed. Obliterated. His eyes, nose, and part of his mouth would all be free to see. Din quickly covered his face with his hand, then realized with his ears ringing, that he was deaf and blind.

He felt vibrations in the floor and turned so he could look through his fingers at the gangplank. It was Liseel, two blasters held up and ready. Then her eyes found Din’s prone, armed form and she averted her gaze. She checked before hitting the button to bring up the gangplank.

Din covered his face with his hand, trying to figure out what he would do. He could not let the Child or Liseel see his face. It was against his sworn Creed. Then, he felt something pushing against his shoulder. Looking up carefully, he found Liseel had her back turned to him and was holding out one of her semi-sheer scarves, with her knuckles against his shoulder.

He could see the edge of her jaw and could tell she had moved it, as to speak. He still couldn’t hear over the ringing. Gently taking the offered scarf, he tied it around his helmet and then turned to check on the Child. The Kid moved carefully around the crate and teetered over to Din’s waiting arms. He scooped the Kid up, holding them close to his chest.

He felt another tap on his shoulder as he held the Kid. Turning his head, he could see Liseel was talking. She was almost always talking, so it would have been a safe bet even if he had been unable to see her face. She looked worried, her slitted pupils scanning over his form. Din pointed towards one of his ears.

“Blaster shot, took out my visor and… I can’t hear over the ringing.”

She nodded, then began to use the gestured language of the Sand People. Din smiled behind his damaged helmet. It was so rare to find someone who knew of that language, let alone fluent in it.

Liseel was rough, though knew enough to inform him that if he were able to get them to the Armorer, she would stay on board with the Kid while he got the Armorer to repair his helmet. She reminded him that the Armorer and her clan, were not far from the Razer’s current position. He nodded.

“I’ll plot a course.”

As he moved to sit up, the room swirled around him. Liseel reached, steadying him as he felt the Child cling closer to him. Rubbing the Kid’s head affectionately, he tried to reassure the little womp rat that he was fine, and that they would all be okay. Liseel helped him up the steps to the cockpit and helped him slide into the pilot’s seat.

His limps felt terribly heavy as Din set about readying the ship and laying in the course. It would take half a day to get close enough to risk a transmission to let the Armorer’s non-Mandalorian friend, Kavra, know that Din was close. Another half a day before he could expect to be in the room with the Armorer.

Din felt a hand on his shoulder. Carefully turning his head, he saw Liseel offering him a worried smile. She gave his shoulder a squeeze, seeming to realize there was nothing she could say, even if he were able to hear it just now. Din nodded, then turned his attention back to the instrument panel.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Inside the Armorer’s new dwelling, foundlings played and adults sat to either side of a long hall, leading down to the Armorer at the end. It felt almost like an old fort or castle, though underground as her old hideout had been. Life seemed much as it had before he took the assignment that led him to the Child. He had expected at least some of the adults to look upon him with anger and distrust. None did.

One younger Mandalorian, perhaps barely midway through their teenage years, came forward. The young Mandalorian put a hand on Din’s shoulder, tilting their helmet. Thankfully, the ringing in his ears was now faint and he could hear if people spoke loud enough. Din gestured to his helmet.

“Need the Armorer.”, he said in what he was sure was a too-loud voice by the way others seemed to startle at his tone.

“Sorry. Headshot. Ringing ears.”, he offered.

Most nodded, some seemed not to react at all. The young Mandalorian tugged on Din’s wrist. Din followed the young Mandalorian till the girl stopped at a door. She knocked three times and waited. A moment later, the door slid open to reveal the Armorer’s golden helmet, though her fur coat was missing, leaving her mostly in her armor and pants.

“I see you have survived.”

Din barely heard her, but nodded.

“My helmet’s integrity has been compromised. The visor was destroyed.”

“Has anyone seen your face?”

He shook his head, then tugged lightly on the sheer scarf still covered his helmet, layered enough to make it nearly impossible for him to see in anything but a well-lit room, and impossible for anyone to make out his features. The Armorer nodded, stepping back and gesturing for him to follow. Din didn’t need to be told twice.

“Step through there. You will find a small room with a large door that has a smaller door in the middle of it. Remove your helmet and hand it through the smaller door. I will retrieve and repair it for you. You will wait inside that room until I return your helmet.”

He nodded, following her instructions. As they reached the door, the Armorer spoke again.

“There are facilities enough, you may wish to clean yourself and tend your wounds while you wait. This will not be a quick repair.”

Din nodded once, then stepped into the room. The younger Mandalorian female closed the door behind him, leaving Din alone. He carefully unwound the layers of Liseel’s scarf, unable to help but catching it in places on the ruins of his visor, leaving tears and small holes in the scarf as he did so. Once the scarf was removed, he carefully unclasped and tugged his helmet free, a few new pieces of his visor falling out of the helmet and onto the floor.

Din walked over to the door, sliding his helmet through the smaller door and waiting. He felt it being taken and then saw the little door swing closed. Now he was a prisoner in this room. The Armorer did not mean to make one of him, but without his helmet, he could not leave the room due to the risk of being seen. Din moved to the little bathroom. A small basin lay there with a looking glass set aside, a few tools needed for a medic to do their work, fresh water, and a cloth.

He checked his reflection. A cut ran along his left eyebrow and cheek, a few small burns on his forehead and the bridge of his nose, his upper lip was swollen and bruised, his lower heat-chapped, and his chin looked almost sun-burnt. His cheeks were mostly unharmed, aside from the cut at the apple of the left cheek. Remarkably, his eyebrows did not appear overly singed. He would have expected them to have been burned off completely.

Din grabbed the towel first, dunking it into the cold water the basin held, then wiping his face clean. It would do no good to try tending a dirty face. Once he was clean enough to truly see the damage, Din began to work on the cuts and burns. They all hurt and his whole head throbbed, his ears almost pulsing though the ringing was fading more and he realized he could hear the clinking of the tools as he tiredly wielded them.

Soon enough, he had finished up on his face and had taken the washcloth and basin of water off to the side, where he could sit on the stone floor. Carefully, he began undoing his armor and washing himself down a bit, checking his wounds as he had previously been unable to do. He had a nasty purple bruise across his chest, his back was definitely bruised behind his right shoulder, his ribs under his right arm were a bit tender though intact. He really need to stop, as Cara would put it, getting his bell rung.

After finishing his full assessment of his injuries and wiping off most of the blood he could get to, Din dumped the nasty water into a small hole and settled to wait. He worried about the Child and Liseel. He was aware he ought not to worry, as Liseel was greatly attached to the kid and a former assassin who had saved Din enough times over the near-year they had been traveling together, for him to know she could handle a few hours alone with the Kid on the Razer. And the Child was not entirely helpless, as sometimes they could move fire, great beasts, and even strangle people 10 feet away.

Just as Din was about to start pacing, there was a knocking at the door. He stood off to the side, ensuring no one could see him if they peered through the smaller door.

“Your helmet is ready.”, came the Armorer’s voice.

Din moved closer, his hand outstretched. He saw his helmet being pushed through and took note of the shiny, clean, intact condition. He quickly slid it into place, feeling once more secure in his armor. Nolonger feeling exposed and vulnerable. Then he noticed something new. His visor was nolonger casting all he saw in a reddish hue. It was now… Blue.

Din secured the helmet and stepped through the door. The Armorer and the younger, female Mandalorian, waited outside. Both seem to appraise the helmet upon his head.

“Does it suffice?”

“It is excellent.”

She nodded. He could almost hear the grin in her voice.

“Good. I did not have the same material your old visor was made from, though this is just as durable.”

Din looked between she and the younger Mandalorian, more to check out the way the visor worked, than any other reason. It seemed the Armorer mistook his meaning.

“She is my daughter. I will train her to replace me, and when the time comes, she will be our Armorer for our Tribe.”

Din inclined his head to show his reverence for the position. Without an Armorer, any group of Mandalorians were vulnerable. And this Armorer was a force to be reckoned with, even before bringing her to a forge.

“What do I owe you for the work?”

She rattled off the cost and Din searched through his bag. He had the credits and also one small chunk of Baskar that he had found while laying low a month or so back on Tattooine. A trader who had no idea what a Mandalorian was or why Baskar was so valuable, had traded it to Din for a couple blasters. Din handed the credits and the small chunk of Baskar, roughly the size of his thumb, over to the Armorer.

“Baskar? Without an Imperial seal?”

He nodded.

“The man I got it from had no idea what it was or why I wanted it. I traded him what he asked for, in return for it. He got it from what he described as a Junk Pile.”

“Did you seek out this Junk Pile?”

Din nodded.

“There was no other Baskar?”

He shook his head.

“Melted bits and pieces of ships and armor, no other Baskar.”

The Armorer nodded.

“How is your foundling?”

“Well. Seems to enjoy the traveling.”

“Good. You are a clan of Two. This is the Way.”

“This is the way.”

The Armorer walked away and her daughter turned to Din.

“I will show you out.”

He nodded, following her down the corridor and out a different, labyrinth-style set of halls, to exit at almost the same place he had come in from.

“My mother says you are one of the best Mandalorians.”

“She is kind.”

The girl shook her head.

“She is impressed.”

With that, she turned on her heel and disappeared back into the building. Din turned to face the Razer. It was time to go home.


	4. Fly-Over Planets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When an old friend of Liseel's has an offer for Din, what will he make of it? How does it affect the Child? And what will the return of this old friend mean for Din and Liseel's partnership?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: I doubt there's much here that isn't already in the show, but just in case--- thoughts of your child going on without you after your gone, concerns over treachery, mentions of how dangerous Din and the kid's lives are.
> 
> Notes: I just finished episode 5 of THE MANDALORIAN and have introduced my mom to it, so I intend to have this fic finished up in time for May 4th. There will be 5 chapters to this, so the next one should be up tomorrow.

Back on the ship, Din laid in their course as the Kid sat in his lap, happily chirping along. Din didn’t understand most of what the Kid uttered, however there were a few noises he had learned the rough meaning of. The happy trilling, the excited squeals, the worried chirps, and the sleepy mumbles. Right now the chattering was happy, but not overly excited.

Looking over his shoulder, he found Liseel smiling softly at them. He turned his chair slightly, handing her semi-sheer scarf back to her. He felt guilty for the pulls and tears as she collected it, and folded it back up.

“I’m sorry.”

She shrugged.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve got a ton of them.”

“Why did you avert your eyes and give me the scarf?”

He hadn’t meant to ask. He had figured she would tell him, eventually. It just slipped out. Words seemed to do that around her.

She looked back at him, her eyes glowing, the slitted pupils widening a bit. The assassin seemed almost confused by his question. Din waited. She squirmed a bit. He continued to keep her helmet facing her, aware she would eventually talk or walk away.

She caved.

“Do you remember when I said that I had been saved by, and spent some time, with another Mandalorian?”

Din nodded. The married Mandalorian with white markings on his armor and a signet of some creature Liseel couldn’t recall the name of.

“Well, he talked. A lot. Almost as much as me.”, she added with a smile.

Tilting his head, he considered. The Armorer had said there were other clans, even some groups big enough to be a threat if they came at an enemy of size. Din wondered who this lone Mandalorian was, and why he had been so far away from his clan.

“I guess, he talked The Way. The armor, the customs, the language, the Foundlings, clans, Baskar, and… all of these Mandalorian things. I didn’t always get it, your Mandalorian code, I mean- putting a helmet on to keep you a step removed from everyone and everything around you, until you decide to retire altogether- seems a bit extreme, even to me. But I figured, those without a religion don’t have room to mock those who’ve got a faith to fall back on. And when he did talk about it that… seems some stuff stuck. I asked, once, what he’d do if someone broke his helmet. He paused, considering I guess, and then said that if his face wasn’t revealed, he would try to cover the damaged area till he could find someone to repair it, and that he’d take the helmet off and chuck it overtop a wall to the person doing the repair then have them chuck it back over to him so he could put it back on and leave. Then he told me, if his face were revealed to others, he would have to remove his helmet and live out his life in peace. No more fighting.”

Din was curious. He had never learned of having to life a pacifistic life once the helmet was removed. He had been taught that he was nolonger one of the warriors and could not return to the battalions once he had removed his helmet before others. This other clan seemed a bit more extreme in their beliefs.

“And this is why you gave me the privacy?”

She nodded.

“Indeed, yes. I knew you have your code, and while I may not totally understand it, I respect it.”

“But it is not your way?”, he questioned, still a bit awe struck by her adherence to his culture.

She let out a sigh.

“As I said before, I grew up around cutthroats, thieves, and liars. Your Code may a little restricting for my personal tastes, however, I admire the Mandalore for their oath and their sticking to it.”

Din considered her answer. With a nod, he turned back to the helm. They flew for several minutes before the silence was broken by Liseel. Din smiled under his helmet. Of course, she couldn’t stay silent long.

“I think I kind of prefer you in your helmet, actually.”

He tilted his head, curious where she would take such a line.

“I happen to think the helmet is pretty intimidating to those you are trying to collect bounties and they can’t see your eyes, and the shininess of it means everyone is looking at you. Makes your partner’s life a bit easier.”

“Are we partners?”, he asked, turning back to face her fully.

Liseel grinned, her stark white teeth and stained dark pink lips bright against all the black of her attire and the dark gray metal of the cockpit.

“Why not? You got a better offer?”

Din shook his head. Her grin turned a little warmer.

“Didn’t think so. Besides, who better to help an old bounty hunter in protecting one of the most-wanted kids in the galaxy, than a former assassin for hire?”

There was no arguing that point. Din smiled under his helmet, nodding as he turned back to face the helm, his hands moving to check their course.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Several months later, they touched down on a planet with enough green space for trees to provide good cover for the Razor from most sides and the temperature to suite both the Kid and Liseel quite well. Things were a bit busy in the nearby area and Din had thought some downtime would be in order. They would stay a few weeks, allow the Kid to have some fresh air for a change, while Liseel and Din could sleep under stars and trees instead of the cold ceiling of the Razor.

The first day, they had stayed near the Razor. Din had planned to travel out the second day to see around the area, while Liseel would stay back with the kid. Assuming there were no issues, they would stay in the area and not venture far from the Razor. That night, however, Din’s sensors went off on the Razor and Liseel was moving to guard the door.

“What is it?”

“One person, according to the scans.”, he said.

They waited a bit. Then, Din went back up to the cockpit and looked. In the treeline, a man appeared in a sage green poncho, long hair tied back, a walking staff in hand. He looked to be a human male in his early to mid 60s. Well cared for hair and clothes, strong hands, dark hair in dreads pulled back into a tail down his back, with a pride to his posture that spoke of an old warrior.

Din moved to the door where Liseel waited. On her nod, he hit the button to open the door and send the gangplank down. He emerged slowly, knowing Liseel had his back and that the kid was curled up in his nest for the night. The old warrior moved closer, his movements slow, his hands in plain sight.

“Why do you come here?”, the old warrior asked.

“We need a place to rest a while. Do some maintenance of my ship, have some room to stretch our legs, breathe the fresh air for a few days.”

“You’re a Mandalorian.”

Statement, not a question. Din nodded once.

“Your signet, a mudhorn. Cantankerous beast. I’m impressed.”

“Har’do?”

Din inclined his head to see Liseel’s head particially visible around the edge of the doorway. She had her eyes narrowed and her brow furrowed as if she were puzzling out something. Looking back to the old warrior, Din could see the man shared a similar look.

“Lissel? Is that you, Liseel?”

She stepped out into full view at the top of the gangplank.

“Didn’t recognize you without your helmet and your armor.”

The old warrior smiled.

“I removed my helmet two years ago. I had returned home and my fighting days were behind me, at last. Do you vouch for this Mandalorian?”

She nodded.

“And his companion.”

“Ah, well then, in the morning I will return. The three of you should break fast with my wife and I?”

“Har’do, there is an issue of a bounty.”

He considered first her, then Din, then the Razor. With a nod, he seemed to come to some conclusion.

“The Mandalorian who escaped with a bounty the remnant of the Empire wanted. I have heard. Worry not. I will not tell anyone. I’ve no one to tell, even if I wished to attract such attention to my quiet corner of the galaxy. Do not worry, Liseel – you and your friends are all safe with Ellie and I. I will come back with the third star rises, and we will share a meal at my home. It will be a pleasure to cook for more than just Ellie, as I have never quite learned to make only portion enough for two to share.”

“I remember.”, Liseel teased back.

“It is good to see you, Liseel.”

“And you as well, Har’do.”

He gave a salute of sorts with his left hand, before turning and walked back into the trees. Two breaths later, the old warrior was gone, hidden in the trees. Din turned, walking back up into the Razor, closing up the doors and plank behind himself.

“I take it that was your Mandalorian friend with the white markings on his armor?”

“Yes.”, she said with a nod.

“I knew his voice as soon as he started talking.”

“He is a man of peace now, then?”

“I suppose so. Come on, let’s get some sleep. Place has to be safe if he was walking around alone and unarmed. Besides, he wouldn’t settle someplace where the Empire or crazed warlords were roaming and looking to cause trouble.”

Din wished he could trust that as Liseel did. She saw him double checking the scanners and the locks on his ship and made no comment or face to suggest she wished to reprimand him. If anything, she seemed to understand his motivations.

~*~*~*~*~*~

True to his word, Har’do had come to collect them at the appointed time. The kid rode in his new sling Din had made that allowed him to have his little back against Din’s chest so that the kid could see the world as they approached it. Liseel had gotten him a small swath of hide to put across the sling, allowing some measure of protection for the kid if they got ambushed. It was not Baskar, though it was still quite good for protection against the average small blasters.

Liseel and Har’do chatted away happily, Din following with the kid. She had not been exaggerating when she said the man spoke nearly as much as she did. Din would not have gotten a word in, even had he tried, between the two.

It took only a little under an hour to reach the timber-built home of Har’do and his wife. It stood as a tall, single story with a few windows in each direction, in the shape of a circle with the top where it met the roof just a little wider than the base at the ground, with the roof tils jutting out further still, creating a dry circle around the house in the rain.

A few small banners hung from between the long, thin windows, bearing two symbols in white. The one symbol was of a fearsome looking creature with wings and a long, sharp looking beak with teeth. The second was a circle with some sort of bird, long and graceful in the neck, with great wings. It reminded him a bit of the symbol worm by those of the Rebellion, though it was different. He wondered if that had been the wife’s signet, though what the animal she fought had been, Din could only wonder.

Har’do lead them further, till they encountered a kind-looking woman dressed in loose robes of cream and pale blue, a leather belt at her waist with an odd metal cylinder hanging where most might carry a weapon. Din had a sneaking suspicion what manner of item it was. The woman, whom he assumed was Ellie, smiled at Har’do and the three of them, her white hair draped beautifully over her shoulders, dark eyebrows and lashes hinting at the color her mane might once have been.

“Hello, wife!”, Har’do called in a hearty voice, a smile on his face.

The small woman shook her head with a little grin. She was small, perhaps 5ft tall at most, fine boned, with high cheekbones, straight nose that was a bit broad at the end, and dark eyes that seemed as sharp as a razor’s edge.

“Har’do, you’ve returned!”, she called, her grin widening to a full, happy smile. Something about her put Din at ease, though he was not sure why or how.

“Come, the three of you look hungry.”

“What of me?”, Har’do teased.

His wife swatted his upper arm with a scoff.

“Oh, you are always hungry.”

Turning back to her guests, she smiled.

“Come. This mountain here made enough food for a small army of wookies.”

She went in first, gesturing for them to come into her home while Har’do stayed outside the door, ushering them in. Elliandra could sense the ill-ease from the Mandalorian. He was afraid, under his gleaming armor, of walking into a trap where he would be unable to defend his child. Liseel seemed less apprehensive though the warmth of her happiness at the reunion with Har’do and at meeting Elliandra, was overshadowed by her concern for the Mandalorian and her worries that they were bringing more trouble down on Har’do and Elliandra.

“The food is hot. I knew when to expect you and made sure to keep it going over the fire till right before you would be here.”

“Thank you.”, the Mandalorian offered.

Elliandra watched as the Mandalorian moved to the waiting table and saw that while five places had been set, food sat at only four of them. He seemed to understand, as he noticed a straw in the drink at the one place without food waiting. He moved the child into a seat between himself and Liseel, gently pulling Liseel’s out in clear invitation for her to sit on the other side of the child. She did with a nod to him, her hand moving to help steady the child in their seat while the Mandalorian pulled his cape aside and sat in his chair. Elliandra moved to her place at the oblong table, putting her almost directly across from the Mandalorian, while Har’do hung up his poncho and set aside his walking stick before joining them. He sat across from Liseel, offering her a bowl with a few biscuits in it.

“Thanks. So, how long have you two been here?”

“Not quite eight years. We found it when we were still traveling the galaxy.”

“It is so good to finally see you, Ellie. Har’do talked about you non-stop.”

Elliandra felt a slight blush, despite years of marriage and Jedi training. Glancing over, she saw that Har’do looked ready to bust with pride. He had always been so proud of her, as if he truly still could not believe she had chosen to spend her life with him, despite the years they had been bound.

“Not all Jedi could have looked past my armor and wished to spend time with a Mandalorian soldier, let alone to have loved one.”

Liseel looked back and forth, while the Mandalorian went quite still. The Child was happily munching on one of the orange vegetables.

“Jedi?”

“Yes.”, Elliandra answered Liseel, “I am. I trained in the final years of the Temple and Council, before the Empire. My training was not entirely completed before I had to go into hiding, though I knew enough to defend myself and to train two others since I fled. I have stayed below the radar, though not completely out of the fighting. I have aided the Rebels on many occasions, quietly, in the shadows for the most part. Which is how I met Har’do. He found me when I had been badly injured and he had been working as a bounty hunter. He saved me instead of getting his bounty.”

“Who needed a few thousand credits?”, he teases between bites of food.

Elliandra smiled over at him, her heart swelling with the fond amusement of an old lover.

“He stayed to help me, then dragged me to safety, patched my wounds, helped me for days till I was back on my feet. We’ve been a team ever since.”

“Clan, my Ellie. You are my clan.”

“I know, I’m just using less formal terms.”

He nodded, taking another bite of food. The man was bottomless.

“As I was saying, since then, we have rarely parted for long. In years past, a Jedi and a Mandalorian would have been on opposite sides of a battlefield, not sharing a life. Now, Mandalorian – your child, your Foundling, is Jedi. Like myself, the child can use the Force to do things no others might. Lifting a large object with seemingly no more than a thought, reading minds, seeing the future, knowing when someone is lying. Things like this.”

Liseel looked over at the Mandalorian with worry plain on her pale features. Elliandra was sure that Liseel must have had some knowledge of the Jedi while this Mandalorian, decked in Baskar, was ignorant of her kind.

“Tell me, has your child done things you could not explain?”

He paused, before nodding.

“They lifted a mudhorn into the air for a couple minutes and then slept almost two full days afterward. Deflected a wall of fire. Choked a friend of mine, without touching her, from across the table.”

Elliandra nodded. No wonder he seemed ready to take her at her word, for the moment.

“May I propose something to you, Mandalorian?”

He nodded.

“Allow me to begin your child’s training? I am the only Jedi for quite some distance, with any real training. This place is safe. A mineral here makes scanning nearly impossible and the results inaccurate at best. I have spies and alarms to alert me to trouble before it comes.”

“I cannot stay here. We are wanted.”

Elliandra had prepared for such an answer.

“I mean not to have you stay.”, the Mandalorian interjected.

“I’m not leaving the kid.”

His tone was threatening enough. He knew she was as capable of doing strange and dangerous things as the kid was, had seemingly clocked her weapon on her hip, and yet was ready to stand up to her for his child’s sake. Elliandra was impressed. Har’do was on guard. Reaching, she laid a hand on his thigh, letting him know to stand down and let her handle this. Liseel looked ready to step between Elliandra and the Mandalorian.

“Forgive me, I did not mean to imply you ought to leave your child in a stranger’s care. I am not like the school I grew up in. I believe children ought to be with their families, not teachers and strangers. I’m suggesting you make this a… a shelter, of sorts, to come back to for a stretch here and there. To do your travels and such, but sometimes return here and take a repast. A reprieve from what chases you out there. And, when you are resting here, I could train your train in the Jedi ways. To ensure there is no further accidental choking, and that they might deflect fire or raise a mudhorn without then spending days sleeping after. To make their powers more reliable, at least.”

Liseel and Har’do seemed to be looking back and forth between the Mandalorian and Elliandra, both silent for once. The child barely paid any of this any mind, transfixed on a small beetle flying near the ceiling.

“I will consider it.”, the Mandalorian finally said.

Elliandra considered this a win and nodded.

“I will speak no more of this today. The food is getting cold. Liseel, how are you liking your new travel companions?”

Liseel smiled over at the Mandalorian, before looking back to Elliandra.

“Very much. I feel at home with them.”

Elliandra felt the stirring of feelings within the silent Mandalorian. He was surprised by Liseel’s answer. Pleased, but surprised. Elliandra did not allow her face to give away what she was reading, however it did seem to her that this Mandalorian’s feelings for the former assassin ran deep with a passion to them that reminded her very much of the stirrings within the heart of her own Mandalorian warrior.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Din had not been completely comfortable, at first, with Har’do and Elliandra. She knew things and said things that left him unsettled. Har’do mostly bewildered Din and left him questioning some of the basic tenants he had always believed about the way of the Mandalore.

Liseel and the kid seemed happy, however. As such, Din opted to stay a few days. Liseel and Har’do talked a good deal, Elliandra began working with the kid to help grow their control over this Force. Din mostly worked on the Razor or watched Elliandra with the kid.

On the fourth day of their stay, Din was working on the gangplank gears. They had taken a shot during the last job he and Liseel worked and he wanted to make sure they would not crap out at a particularly bad time. Just as he was about to work on the final hinge, he heard a twig snap. Turning, blaster aimed, he found Har’do standing there, hands raised in the universal ‘Do Not Shoot’ gesture. Din lowered his blaster.

“Liseel said you were working on the gangplank. She’s not quite as mechanically skilled as I am, so I thought I would offer a hand.”

“Liseel does just fine.”, Din said, before thinking better of it.

Har’do smiled fondly.

“She’s improved, from what I can see. Actually, she’s improved in a lot more ways than her skills as a mechanic. She’s more… relaxed than I remember her being. She’s always been talkative when she’s not actively working. Her discussions now are a bit more personal, less guarded. She doesn’t talk so much in riddles anymore.”

Din nodded once. He had also noticed over the many months she had spent on the Razor, that she spoke in a more comfortable way. Har’do came up, a bunch of tools in a pouch on his belt. He moved his bulky frame near Din and began working. Up close, Din could take a proper accounting of their differences. Har’do was a good head taller than Din, with shoulders to match, with a much easier manner.

“You can ask about my leaving the helmet behind or Mandalorian things I knew, or even the Jedi. I won’t take offence, Mando.”

Liseel knew his name, as he had muttered something after a nasty injury that left him bleeding and thinking he might die. It had seemed imperative at the time, for her to know his name. Har’do and Elliandra had not-yet learned it. Liseel had not seemed at all inclined to tell them, for all of her talking.

“I was taught that we were nolonger Mandalorian when we took off the helmet and set it aside.”

Har’do nodded.

“That is one way to interpret it. My elders, they said once we swore the Creed, we were warriors first and foremost until we set aside the helmet. Then, we were to live a life of peace. That we would have earned it.”

“Were you a foundling?”

“Yes. I was barely old enough to walk. My mother found me and she took me in. Her husband had taken two foundlings years earlier, and they were now almost full grown themselves and her husband had been killed a year prior to her finding me. She told me that finding me had helped her, have given her a renewed passion to fight for the Mandalore. We traveled with our group for years. They only allowed four people at a time, out of the sanctuaries we stayed in, to find work and keep an eye out. Foundlings and the other children were kept mostly within the confines of whatever sanctuary we were staying it at the time. When I was 14, I was offered the chance to choose my destiny. The swear the Creed, become a warrior, live the Way. Or, to become a man of peace and go out into the world, still of Mandalore but a pacifist.”

“Why did you choose to swear the Creed?”

Har’do let out a low chuckle, shaking his head as he changed tools in his pouch.

“I was never very good at standing back and watching. I was always a big kid, and I was forever diving in to protect the smaller kids, from bullies, thieves, and other threats. I don’t think it ever occurred to me to do anything but to swear the Creed.”

They worked a while in silence. Companionable, but quiet. Din didn’t mind. He only liked noise when it was the kid, or Liseel. Anything else was just too much sound.

They were able to get the gangplank back in full working order, then tackled the one thruster, before starting on a chunk of the landing gear that had been sticking for the past few weeks. Har’do was an excellent mechanic and strong enough to lift things Din would have needed Liseel’s help just to drag.

“Did your mother teach you to be a mechanic?”

“Yes, actually. That was one of her primary functions in the group. She fixed things. Her sister was our Armorer and my mother was the Mechanic. Between the two of them, there wasn’t much that couldn’t be replaced or repaired. They had another sister, and she was a healer. She had not sworn the Creed but she refused to leave their sides. She was the best storyteller, my aunt.”

“She where the chattiness comes from?”

Har’do barked a laugh.

“I never thought of it, but I suppose so. Either that, or one person per generation gets to do 90% of the talking.”

Din did feel a small laugh bubble up, at that. They continued to work, with Din asking the occasional question and Har’do giving all the answers he had to offer. It was almost dark when both men were startled by a pair of glowing green eyes with a wide slit running through each iris.

“Liseel! You’ll give an old man a heart attack!”, Har’do half-growled.

Liseel smiled, showing off those stark white teeth. Really, her appearance should have been unsettling in the unfamiliar woods, under two moons, with those teeth and eyes almost leaping out from the darkness. However, Din found that even with her ability to sneak up on him, he did not fear her. Not in the least. It could be that she had been adamant that if he could only save her or the kid, she voted for him to save the kid and would have no hard feelings towards him for that choice. Or, perhaps, there was another reason.

“Elliandra made supper and I have orders to retrieve you both before the kid eats it all.”

“That kid does have quite the appetite, how do you keep them fed on your travels?”, Har’do asked as he turned to Din for an answer.

“He’s more of an opportunistic eater.”

Har’do nodded, then grinned, clapping Din across the back with a meaty hand.

“Well no wonder then! Elliandra’s cooking could tempt the most stubborn to cast aside religious restrictions, dietary considerations, or concern over a waistline, with her cooking.”

“And yours isn’t so bad either.”, Liseel added.

Har’do belted out a hearty laugh, before ushering both of them to come along to his home, leading the way as he went. Liseel fell into step beside Din, her shoulder bumping his lightly. He had grown more accustomed to such from her, though it still jarred him when others touched him.

“Did you two have fun?”

Din tilted his head at her question.

“Elliandra suggested I let Har’do go help you instead of coming out here myself. He is a better mechanic, but she seems to think you might have had some things you’d like to ask the old Mandalorian, when you didn’t have an audience.”

Din nodded. He felt Liseel discreetly reach for his hand, giving his fingers a light squeeze. His breath caught for a second. He was accustomed to her bumping his shoulder, helping him when he was hurt, or adjusting the straps for the Kid’s sling, however openly holding his hand was… new.

“He’s right about the kid though, gonna eat half the frogs on this rock before the week is out.”

“We will need to leave soon. Can’t stay too long, in one place.”

She nodded, offering him a friendly smile, her hand still holding his as they walked in the near pitch darkness.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Back on the Razor, a couple hours later, the kid was sound asleep in their little bunk Din had made for them. Liseel was cleaning the console area with a rag, and Din was taking an inventory of his ammunition. It was a quiet moment and Din knew it couldn’t last.

“Have you given any thought to Ellie’s offer?”

Liseel didn’t look at him as she continued to clean. They had been around each other long enough for him to know she wanted an honest answer when she didn’t look after asking a serious question. She wanted the knee-jerk reaction, not the considered response she got when people were under her gaze.

“Yes.”

“And?”

“Kid does seem to have more control, from what I have seen in these past days.”

“True.”, she answered as she moved to cleaning the chair.

There was a stubborn stain from where Din had bled on the leather, from an injury he had not realized he had until he noticed the blood. The stain had been there longer than Liseel or the Kid had been around, yet Liseel was determined she would scrub it out at some point. She could be quite stubborn herself. And clean.

“Could be good, to have a familiar place to visit, from time to time. Give the kid somewhere to train, fresh air, good people.”

Liseel nodded as she scrubbed at the stain. Her position amused Din. One foot on the floor, one pressed against the edge of the console to help hold the chair in place with her knee, face almost against the lumber portion of the chair, one hand on the seat, opposite elbow in the air to get the right angle to scrub, all while still in her black, somewhat flowy attire. Wisps of white hair had fallen from her braid down her back and stuck out at odd angles, a few falling into her face as she worked.

“Dangerous, though.”

That got her attention. Scrubbing forgotten, she moved to sit up, looking at Din.

“What? Ellie and Har’do aren’t dangerous to the Kid.”

“I meant we would bring danger on them. We would almost be dropping it right at the doorstep, Liseel.”

“Not really. Like Har’do said, that mineral in the ground here makes scanning shoddy at best, with highly inaccurate readings. Plus, there are three junkyards near enough to here that their heaps give off more confusing information for scanners. This is a fly-over planet. Too small, too scarce a population, and too full of problematic minerals, to be of any use to anyone except as a junk yard.”

“Or a hideout.”

Liseel growled before sitting in the chair, huffing as she did so. Din checked over his shoulder to make sure the Kid was still sleeping.

“I doubt anyone would think to come here looking for you. This was more likely a place for an old smuggler or a former Rebel tracker to come spend their retirement years. Quiet, small, fly-over.”

“What better place for a wanted man to hide with his even more wanted child, than a place where scanners don’t work, most people consider it a fly-over, and the inhabitants are mostly people who want to be left alone?”

“Din, the child needs to be trained. They can’t be left to figure this out alone, and no matter how close we are at hand, we don’t have the knowledge to train a Jedi. You’re a Mandalorian- they used to hunt Jedi, from what Ellie and Har’do have said. I’m an assassin, all I do is hunt and kill. I don’t use this Force thing to pull ships from a watery landing, I don’t use it to deflect a wall of fire. The best chance the kid has is Ellie, and she’s offered. She and Har’do know the risks, and they are offering to help a fellow Jedi and a fellow Mandalorian.”

Din understood her point.

“I know it’s a risk, Din, but… your kid deserves to have all the opportunities you can offer them. Including the dangerous ones. Don’t you think your own parents wrestled with you swearing the Creed, knowing how dangerous the life would be for you? Even if, deep down, they loved that Creed and honored it just as much as you do, but at the same time, as proud as they were, they were still parents and would have done anything in their power to spare you pain. It’s a tightrope all parents, mentors, and even elder siblings have to walk. Letting the kids make their choices and be who they are, knowing that it will mean pain, danger, and suffering at times, and that there’s nothing you can do to prevent all of it.”

Liseel reached over, giving Din’s hand a squeeze as she knelt beside Din’s chair.

“Someday, maybe in a year or in 40, we won’t be here. Wouldn’t you rather he had some way to protect himself?”

As much as he hated what she was saying, Din had to admit that her points were valid. So much so that he had little to counter them with. She was as aware as he, how dangerous the galaxy could be to a child alone. Much more so to a child with such a sizeable bounty on his head.

“Doesn’t seem like there’s much choice.”

Liseel reached, almost touching the side of his helmet as if to cup his cheek, before seeming to remember and pulling her hand back.

“The kid would do well to know how to use this…Force. You’re right.”

“Din, I’m sorry. I didn’t meant to be so harsh, but I just…”, she stood up and moved to the other side of the cockpit, her movements a bit shaky, as if she were quite agitated. 

Turning back to Din, her arms crossed and almost hugging herself, she couldn’t meet his gaze. He couldn’t recall a time when she was unable to meet his gaze. Din found himself growing more nervous as to where her mind had wondered.

“I care about the kid. Maybe not like you do, I mean the kid’s basically your own child. I don’t think you could care more for that kid if they shared your blood. But I care. And I… I hate to think of either of us not being here to protect or…”, Din moved, crossing over to stand in front of Liseel. He reached, carefully placing a finger below her chin, raising it a little.

“I don’t like thinking of it, either. The dangers of this job. Odds are, someday I’ll go out and I won’t come back. You’re right. Best to give him some measure of protection that isn’t just us.”

She nodded, still not-quite making eye contact. Din felt something. An urge he could no recall having in a long time. Reaching, he moved a hand to the small of Liseel’s back. She did not go still or move away. She closed her eyes and closed the distance between them, her face in the crook of Din’s shoulder, her arms wrapping around him to hold him close as he held her tightly to him.

“I’ll tell Elliandra that I’d be honored to take her up on her offer.”

Liseel nodded against his shoulder.

“I’m sorry I upset you, Din.”

He found his one hand absently running up and down her back, slowly.

“You were just trying to take care of the kid. Can’t fault that.”


	5. Finally Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Din, Liseel, and the Kid come to Har'do and Elliandra's for a celebration, they are threatened by a solar storm and an unexpected arrival. Will Har'do take up his armor once more, will Elliandra make use of her old lightsaber, will Din have to leave his family behind to save them?
> 
> The conclusion of the adventures of Din, the Kid, and Liseel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Triggers: If you got through the show, you're fine. It's all feels. Maybe some pining of sorts.
> 
> Notes: Thank you for reading this, and sticking with me. I hope you have enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it!

Over the past several months, Din and Liseel made four trips back to see Har’do and Elliandra. Each time, the kid’s skill with this Force, seemed to grow, and the kid’s confidence with it. The downside had been that he had started doing a better job of escaping beds, chairs, and boosters that Din put him into.

The current trip was supposed to be a longer stay, due to a solar storm going on, causing all manner of havoc with the equipment on the Razor. Until the storm was over, it would be unsafe to fly around the planet or it’s moons. Elliandra also wanted them to stay a while in order to help her celebrate Har’do’s birthday. Liseel had been particularly excited for it, even going to the trouble of purchasing a plant for a gift to mark the occasion.

Har’do had spent the entire previous day helping Din do some minor repairs on the Razor, while Liseel oversaw Elliandra training the little womp rat. Din had to admit, this was nothing like the life he had once pictured for himself yet it was so much better than he thought possible. He was happy. At last, he had a family, a home base to come back to, and a decent shot at a future.

Din sat at the helm, double-checking some of the work he and Har’do had done on the Razor when there was a worrying sound. An alarm. Someone was scanning in the area. Din felt a cold hand grip his heart inside his ribcage. He waited.

After several minutes, no further warnings came up. Whoever had scanned, hadn’t stuck around. Either they had moved on because the area was too hard to read or they were finding a soft spot to land so they could make a personal check. Din hadn’t a minute to lose.

Rising, he quickly grabbed his new rifle and ran for Har’do and Elliandra’s home. He had to warn them. He ran even after his legs ached and his lungs burned, images of his own world being attacked, his parents stowing him away just before a blast that rattled the doors and ceiling of his shelter.

As soon as he came through the doors, he found Elliandra already holding her lightsaber in hand, a light set of armor over her daily ware. Liseel had moved between the door and the Kid, her own black armor on and her twin short blasters in hand. Har’do stepped into the room, all of his Mandalorian Baskar on, except for his helmet.

“We’re being scanned.”, Elliandra said.

Din nodded.

“She sensed it.”, Liseel filled him in.

Har’do nodded, then came over to Din.

“Did you see them?”

He shook his head.

“Then I’ll go look.”

“I’ll go with you.”, Din offered.

The two moved towards the door and Din noticed, out of the edge of his visor, Liseel step forward with her mouth open as if to say something. She stopped, closing her mouth, and giving him a nod. He nodded back.

They had barely made it ten feet from the door when Har’do put his helmet on. Din had never seen the older Mandalorian with his helmet. Seeing him now, looming and ready to fight, Din could see why so many felt equal parts fear and awe of a fully armored Mandalorian. He had nearly forgotten what such a warrior looked like.

“Mando, tell me truthfully, you don’t intend to walk with me to scan the area?”

Din shook his head.

“Was going back to the ship. If you saw anyone, you could radio me and I would fly away, lead them off. I could make a jump to hyperspace, stop somewhere, then jump back, confuse the trail and buy time to get Liseel and the kid out of here before they found us again.”

Har’do nodded.

“Not a bad idea. Ellie thought you might do that, if this day came. She said you might also smart at my putting my armor back on.”

“By the Creed, you shouldn’t have.”

“I swore to be a warrior, until it was time to be a man of peace. My oath to protect my family, comes before my oath to the Creed. I’m a Mandalorian. My family is my first priority, above any oath.”

Din nodded. This he could understand. He would have violated his oath for the kid, or Liseel. Maybe not a couple years ago but certainly now. Neither Mandalorian said anything further until it was time to split up, Din to the Razor and Har’do to the overlook.

“Family first, Mando.”, Har’do called.

“Family first.”, Din nodded, turning and heading out to the Razor.

Under his breath, Har’do repeated the words he had not spoken in years.

“This is the Way.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Din powered up the Razor to low-mode. With two movements, he could finish powering her up and one more would send him into the air. He waited, carefully listening to the scanners, his alerts, and for any transmissions from Har’do or Elliandra. He could fly out and ensure he was followed, drawing danger away from Har’do and Elliandra’s home, allowing them, Liseel, and the Kid to be safe.

Din turned, intending to check one of the scanners, only to be slapped in the face with reminders. The Kid’s booster seat sitting in the passenger seat. One of Liseel’s scarves hanging over the jump-seat currently bolted up to the wall. A small toy Liseel had found for the Kid, laying turned on it’s side by the doorway. A haloshot of his daily life.

He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t leave them behind, even if it might be the sensible choice. To draw danger away and keep it away. Yet, he could not. He could not abandon them. But, if he had to fly into the solar storm, he would risk it. For them, he would risk it every time it was needed.

He could hear it. Something was flying overhead. He waited. His alerts detected no scans or incoming fire. Only proximity. Surely they had to see him at this distance.

A few tense minutes later, they had passed and his scans indicated they had flown off towards one of the moons so they would be leaving just ahead of the storm’s arrival. Din waited. This had been too lucky, too easy.

“Mando!”, came Har’do over the comm.

“Har’do, what happened?”

“Ellie. She called in a favor with one of the junkers. We’re safe. Come on home.”

Din needn’t be told twice. He turned everything off then headed for the house. He knew the kid and Liseel were safe, yet he needed to see them for himself before he would be able to breathe again. No one had ever explained to him the panic of having your own family.

Skidding to a stop, he almost slid right through the front door only for it to fly open and the Kid to leap up towards Din’s thigh. He caught his boy, raising him up to hold him close as Din headed inside. Liseel was seated by the fireplace, her weapons put away, as Har’do helped Elliandra remove one of the rear pieces of her armor while she held her long hair out of his way.

“How?”

“Elliandra and I put some pieces together, and made it look like a very Razor Crest-like ship crashed into the nearest moon. We weren’t entirely sure it would work, but it did! Now whoever that was, think the three of you are splattered across the surface of an uninhabitable moon. Nothing left but a grease spot on some rocks.”

“Word will spread, Mandalorian. People will think the three of you are gone. I concentrated enough to make them believe the actual Razor Crest was simply an old hunk of junk and that the thing that crashed was your ship. Worked pretty well, if I do say so myself.”

Liseel shook her head, seemingly as shocked by all this as Din felt.

“And, most importantly, we can carry on with celebrating my birthday.”, Har’do beamed as he walked off with his helmet and Elliandra’s armor under his arm.

Elliandra shook her head as she watched him leave, a bemused grin on her face. Liseel chuckled over by the fireplace as she reached to undo her own armor. Din walked further in, moving to sit across from Liseel, he let the Kid stay in his lap, little fingers playing with the edge of Din’s cape.

The next hour was spent decompressing and letting the new reality sink in. At least for a while, as Din held no hope for it to last forever, they were safe and off the radar. Also, seeing what Elliandra was capable of, he wondered what his son might be able to do when he was grown and fully trained with this Force thing.

They enjoyed a hearty meal and lots of storytelling from Har’do. The kid was fascinated. Din was just amazed anyone could talk more than Liseel. He was also amazed at how quiet Liseel had been for the most part, except for when regaling them with the story of how she came to get her plant for Har’do and of how she and Har’do had once saved a small fishing village together- by accident.

Before long, the Kid was asleep in Din’s arms and Elliandra was beginning to nod off at the table. Har’do had lowered his volume, though he was no less talkative. When the man seemed to notice his wife’s shaking herself awake for the umpteenth time, he smiled and let out a sigh.

“I believe all the excitement has taken it’s toll and I should take my bride to her bed.”

She snorted as she waved him off.

“I’m not yet so old as to be unable to handle a bit of excitement. It was all the good food and good company. I’m more accustomed to being a simple hermit.”

Liseel and Din smiled at the antics of their hosts. Har’do stood, now in his day clothes of a simple shirt and breeches with his beat up boots, and moved to Elliandra’s side. The woman looked impossibly small next to her mountain of a husband, yet Din got the distinct impression that she was the more dangerous of the two. And that her husband agreed.

“Come, my dear? Before you fall asleep on the table.”

Elliandra smiled at her husband and allowed him to scoop her up bridal style.

“Goodnight.”, she bid them before allowing him to carry her off, down the hall to their room.

Liseel moved to clean up some items from the table. Once Din had laid the Kid down in a nest of blankets that constituted his booster at the dinner table, he moved to help Liseel. They were almost half done before she spoke.

“Ellie was talking about the first time she saw Har’do without his helmet. Apparently he was nothing like what she expected. She said that she had somehow thought he would have a short nose and a dimple in his chin, and that he might be fully bald, shaved clean of all but his eyebrows. Then he removed it, and had this straight, longer nose, a smooth chin, a short beard, and hair almost long enough to place in a tail.”

“What brought it up?”, he was curious.

“She was asking if I knew what you looked like under there.”, she said, gesturing to his helmet.

“Have you wondered?”

She shrugged, rinsing off a dirty plate.

“I have my imaginings.”

“Hmm.”

Looking over at him with a slight smirk and tired eyes, she asked, “What, are you surprised?”

“No.”

He handed her another plate as he laid out the rinsed cups.

“Ellie said you were planning to leave us, fly up into the solar storm, if need be.”

Din did not deny it.

“I’m glad you didn’t.”

He nodded. His curiosity was getting the better of him as they worked.

“What are your imaginings?”

“Pardon?”

“You said you had imaginings of what I would look like.”

He caught it. She blushed. It was subtle, with her pale complexion but he had learned to spot it.

“You could just tell me what you look like. You do have to remove the helmet to eat, bathe, and clean up your wounds. I’m sure you’ve done so where you could see your own face reflected back.”

He nodded and was about to give her a hint when she held up a hand.

“No, don’t tell me. I’d rather imagine it until the day, should it come, when you decide to set the armor aside.”

Leaning back, she considered him for a moment. Her glowing green eyes scanned over his armor and to where his lips were.

“I imagine a soft smile, with some amount of facial hair- since you don’t take that thing off often enough to have a clean shaven face at all times.”

Her eyes rose ever so slightly and her smile widened.

“I picture a slightly wider nose.”, then her eyes moved till she was making eye contact with him for a moment, before her eyes rose.

“Dark hair. I’m not sure why, I just… dark hair. And your eyes. Brown. Soft. I sometimes think I could read every little thing in them, if you ever took the helmet off.”

For a moment, she held his gaze, then she turned her head to look down at the dishes to her right. Her pale hands moved, fidgeting. Din watched, curious and dumbstruck. She had thought a lot about his appearance. Din did not think he was imagining that she touched him and that her touches lingered, that her eyes often fell to where his mouth was or held his own gaze.

Reaching, Din caught her wrist. She did nothing to make him let go or back away. Slowly, she raised her face to meet his gaze. Gently, Din pulled up her hand and held it in his own. As she held his gaze, still, he eased their hands to his chest, letting her hand move just beside his armor. He was sure she had to feel how his heart pounded. The one corner of her mouth turned upward, her eyes widening.

She leaned forward, letting her forehead tip towards Din. His cool helmet met the warmth of her skin. He could imagine it. Her free hand moved to his shoulder, her warm thumb rubbing along the side of his neck. He could feel it through the thick layers of his blaster-resistant shirt.

“Liseel?”

“Yes?”

“I’m not ready to remove the Baskar. I… if more come, I’ll need it.”

“I understand. I can wait.”

“And if I never take it off?”

He saw the edge of her smile.

“I have my imaginings.”

“I hope to give you more… someday.”

She moved, just enough to be properly look him in the visor-covered eyes. The blue hue of his new visor painted her even more ethereally than the fireplace’s glow had done.

“Din Djarin, you’ve given me a home and a place to belong. I’m more than willing to wait for that someday. You’re worth it.”

Beneath his helmet, Din felt his face burn from the smile as his vision blurred from a dampness no one else would see. Leaning, he pulled Liseel closer and she held him tight. Unbeknownst to either of them, the Kid had woken up and sat in his nest, smiling as if it were his birthday. He could feel the echo of his parents’ emotions and they were good echos. Leaning back, her carefully curled back into his nest and waited for his papa to take him to bed. The future was bright in his mind and he was home, with his family.


End file.
